Cyclists of all ages gathered Sunday to mark World Environment Day (WED) on the Intercontinental Istanbul Cycling Trip. Starting from 10:30 a.m., a large group of cyclists set off from the Lütfi Kırdar International Convention and Exhibition Center and followed a route which passed Mecidiyeköy, Balmumcu, the Bosporus Bridge, Üsküdar and Harem. The tour ended in Kadıköy in the afternoon.
Istanbul Electricity, Tramway and Tunnel General Management (İETT) put into service special public buses with bike racks and closed a number of roads to accommodate cyclists on the cycling trip.
WED, which falls on June 5 every year, is the United Nations' campaign for encouraging global awareness and action for the environment. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly to mark the opening of the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. It has grown into a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated in over 100 countries. It serves as a day for people to do something positive for the environment, inspiring individual actions that collectively can generate a hugely positive impact on the planet. WED is celebrated around the world in many ways, including street rallies, bicycle parades, concerts, poster competitions in schools, tree planting and recycling efforts.
